Wireless mobile telephone system with voice-dialing telephone instruments and DTMF capability

• US 6,580,927 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dot 23 Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Francine Berry
• Inventors: Nilsson, Byard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/953,766
• Time in Patent Office: 639 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 455/463, 455/563, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/563
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/005 Disposable prepaid communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/026 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A wireless telephone system incorporates voice activated mobile instruments that are powered through a separate pod that includes electrical couplings either to A.C. structural power or D.C. vehicular power. Furthermore, the system accommodates both digital (DTMF) and voice (audio) communication from the keyless mobile instruments to and through a switched telephone network.

Claims

1. A central wireless telephone system for interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments to accomplish telephonic connections with other telephone terminals through a switched telephone network, comprising:

a transceiver platform for wireless communication with the wireless telephone instruments;

an interface between the transceiver platform and the switched telephone network to selectively bridge the wireless telephone instruments through the switched network to other telephone terminals, the interface including;

a conversation signal path to provide speech signals from a wireless telephone instrument to another telephone terminal bridged to the wireless telephone instrument; and

a keypad signal path including a speech signal-to-keypad signal translator to provide keypad signals from a wireless telephone instrument to another telephone terminal bridged to the wireless telephone instrument; and

a path control for selecting the keypad signal path through the interface to enable a dial-up bridged connection from an active wireless telephone instrument to another telephone terminal and thereafter to enable manual selective control from the active wireless telephone instrument alternatively to select the conversation signal path or the keypad signal path as the desired signal path through the interface.

2. A central wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein the path control includes at least one detector for detecting a control sound produced at the active wireless telephone instrument.

3. A central wireless telephone system according to claim 2 wherein the detector detects a control sound in the form of speech.

4. A central wireless telephone system according to claim 3 wherein the speech is a series of spoken numbers.

5. A central wireless telephone system according to claim 4 wherein the speech is a spoken word.

6. A central wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein the transceiver with the interface sequences a connection operation of the path control to accomplish a telephone connection with another telephone terminal in accordance with voice signals from a wireless telephone instrument.

7. A central wireless telephone system according to claim 6 wherein the path control selects the conversation signal path with the occurrence of a connection.

8. A central wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein the speech signal-to-keypad signal translator provides DTMF signals.

9. A central wireless system according to claim 1 wherein the interface includes voice capability.

10. A central wireless system according to claim 1, wherein the interface prompts a caller to speak a called telephone number.

11. A central wireless system according to claim 10 wherein the interface provides acknowledgement signals in response to spoken numerals.

17. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments in accordance with claim 11 wherein the indicating signal is provided to indicate the selection of the translating path.

18. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments in accordance with claim 11 further including a step of sensing nulls in the communication to control the provision of the indicating signal.

12. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments to accomplish telephonic connections with other telephone terminals through a switched telephone network, comprising the steps of:

establishing wireless communication with the wireless telephone instruments;

interfacing the switched telephone network to selectively bridge the wireless telephone instruments through the switched telephone network to other telephone terminals;

receiving speech signals from an active wireless telephone instrument;

translating the speech signals from an active wireless telephone instrument to keypad signals to establish a dial-up telephone connection with another telephone terminal;

with the establishment of a connection between an active wireless telephone instrument and another telephone terminal, providing a speech transmission path there between; and

with the establishment of the speech transmission path, enabling selective control from the active telephone terminal to select between the translating and the speech transmission path.

13. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone intruments in accordance with claim 12 wherein the step of enabling selective control includes detecting a sound produced at the active wireless telephone instrument.

14. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone intruments in accordance with claim 13 wherein the detecting is of a speech.

15. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone intruments in accordance with claim 12 further including a step of manifesting the state of translating the speech signals at an active wireless telephone instrument.

16. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments in accordance with claim 12 wherein the keypad signals comprise DTMF signals.

19. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments in accordance with claim 12 wherein the selective control includes a series of spoken words.

20. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments in accordance with claim 12 wherein the selective control includes a series of spoken numbers.

21. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments in accordance with claim 12 further including a step of providing an indicating signal to include the currently selected path.

22. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments in accordance with claim 12 further including a step of prompting a wireless telephone instrument for the spoken entry of a called telephone number.

23. A method of interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments in accordance with claim 12 further including a step of acknowledging the spoken entry of a called telephone number from a wireless telephone instrument.

24. A central wireless telephone system for interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments to accomplish telephonic connections with other telephone terminals through a switched telephone network, comprising:

a transceiver platform for wireless communication with the wireless telephone instruments;

an interface between the transceiver platform and the switched telephone network to selectively bridge the wireless telephone instruments through the switched network to other telephone terminals, the interface including;

a conversation signal path to provide speech signals from a wireless telephone instrument to another telephone instrument bridged to the wireless telephone instrument; and

a keypad signal path including a speech signal-to-keypad signal translator;

a path control for selecting the keypad signal path to enable a dial-up bridged connection from an active wireless telephone instrument to another telephone terminal and thereafter to enable selective control from the active wireless telephone instrument to select the desired signal path through the interface; and

a sonic device to manifest the occurrence of a keypad signal path being selected.

25. A central wireless telephone system according to claim 24 including a detector for disabling the sonic device except during periods of silence.

26. A central wireless telephone system for interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments to accomplish telephonic connections with other telephone terminals through a switched telephone network, comprising:

a transceiver platform for wireless communication with the wireless telephone instruments;

an interface between the transceiver platform and the switched telephone network to selectively bridge the wireless telephone instruments through the switched network to other telephone terminals, the interface including;

a conversation signal path to provide speech signals from a wireless telephone instrument to another telephone instrument bridged to the wireless telephone instrument; and

a keypad signal path including a speech signal-to-keypad signal translator;

a path control for selecting the keypad signal path to enable a dial-up bridged connection from an active wireless telephone instrument to another telephone terminal and thereafter to enable selective control from the active wireless telephone instrument to select the desired signal path through the interface; and

a binary device for manifesting the current path.

27. A central wireless telephone system for interfacing a plurality of wireless telephone instruments to accomplish telephonic connections with other telephone terminals through a switched telephone network, comprising:

a transceiver platform for wireless communication with the wireless telephone instruments;

an interface between the transceiver platform and the switched telephone network to selectively bridge the wireless telephone instruments through the switched network to other telephone terminals, the interface including;

a conversation signal path to provide speech signals from a wireless telephone instrument to another telephone instrument bridged to the wireless telephone instrument; and

a keypad signal path including a speech signal-to-keypad signal translator;

a path control for selecting the keypad signal path to enable a dial-up bridged connection from an active wireless telephone instrument to another telephone terminal and thereafter to enable selective control from the active wireless telephone instrument to select the desired signal path through the interface; and

wherein the path control includes a logic circuit that monitors for a command from a wireless telephone instrument to select a desired signal path.